Promises
by theunsweetenedtruth
Summary: Erik comes and goes from her life, but Ada just wants him to be hers and be home. Formally known as "Blessed"
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Ada and even that's questionable. Story is based on the song "Blessed" by Daniel Caesar. I can't stop playing it. I'm obsessed just like I am with Black Panther. See you at the bottom :)

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Ada was used to Erik coming and going the way he did. He'd be in town for a few weeks before disappearing for months on end, leaving her worried and anxious. She understood that his job in the CIA took him away from her but a damn head's up when he was leaving or coming back would be nice.

And always back with more of the…markings. She asked him once what they stood for but he just shook his head, refusing to answer. She had an idea but was too afraid for him to confirm or deny what she already knew deep down.

Because despite his in and out act, she knew Erik better than anyone else. Even himself sometimes.

He was home today, back in Boston, and they were wrapped around each other in her bed. Always her bed, never his. Ada wasn't even sure where he stayed whenever he wasn't with her or if he had his own place in Oakland. She loved him like this, snuggly and pressed against her, his head resting on her chest and her scratching at the hairs on the back of his neck. There was that underlying current of sexual energy that always seemed to be present whenever Erik was within her vicinity but Ada just wanted to hold him to her a little longer.

It was hard having him leave and Erik knew this; he usually snuck out early in the morning, leaving nothing behind. When he came back, he brought gifts from his travels. Candle holders from Iraq, a rug from Afghanistan, Russian dolls integrated their way into the eclectic décor that made up her—no _their_ —place. But it still never made up for Ada missing him like crazy.

"How long are you staying this time?" she asked tracing a pattern in the dots along his shoulder. These were fresh; she could always tell the difference in the new ones.

He made a noncommittal sound in his throat, snuggling deeper into her breast and Ada let him, wrapping both arms around him. She wanted to keep him. She knew he was damaged but just like the silly girls in movies, she just felt that if he would just give her a chance, she could _fix_ him. But Erik was troubled, far more so than her one psychology class could handle.

When she met him, Ada thought Erik was the typical bad boy, but was instantly drawn to him the minute she heard him in a lecture on African Diaspora Studies. He spoke with such intelligence, such confidence and magnetism that every eye was instantly on him, including Ada. Interacting with him one on one was another level. Ada was no dummy by any means but Erik took intellect to another level and she found herself falling for the bad boy who was more misunderstood than anything.

Her friends told her that they had heard things about him, he was messed up, had anger issues, got into fights but Ada just knew that if she could keep him, she could fill that hole that he let fester and scab over with anger. She started to pray more, hoping that whatever was causing him to be the way he was inside would be healed and he could be the man that he was with her all the time. But she didn't mind being Erik's person; he was one person who Ada could depend on.

Erik sat up pulling Ada from her thoughts and took her hands into his. Tugging her into a seated position on the bed, she knew it would be bad because of the serious look on his face.

"What is it?" she asked afraid of the answer.

"I…I'm leaving tomorrow morning." His words hit like a punch to the stomach.

"Wait what? You just got here." Tears welled in her eyes and Ada did her best not to let them fall. It made no sense to be so attached to someone who pulled disappearing acts on the regular. She should be used to in by now but it still hurt and it was the first time she had known ahead of time when he was leaving. "Can't the CIA send someone else for once? You can't be the only person saving the world."

"This isn't for the CIA." The words brought her up short. If not for the CIA then what could possibly take him away so soon?

"You have to give me more than that Erik. You come in and out of my life and I'm supposed to just be ok with that?" The tears were flowing freely and Ada swiped them away angrily. Erik was the only person to make her feel this way, both so angry and in love and out of control. She began to pace. "What about me Erik? What about what I want? I can't keep living this life of never knowing when you're coming or going and not being able to live my own life because I'm waiting for you to figure out what it is you need. Why aren't I just enough?"

Erik grabbed her by the arms and sat her back on the bed. "Hey, hey, hey. Calm all that down. You're enough. You're more than enough." He rubbed the back of his neck. "This is something that I have to do. Something to honor my pops. Something he would've wanted me to do." Ada nodded. Erik didn't talk about Oakland a lot but she knew that his father was killed when he was young and he had meant the world to Erik.

"I need something more permanent Erik. I love you more than anything and it scares me whenever you leave and I never know if you're gonna come home to me." Erik wrapped his arms around her and Ada leaned her head against his chest. Their relationship was unhealthy one but not one she would give up for anything.

"I swear. This time is the last time. When I come back, things are gonna be different. I'm gonna take you to where my pops grew up, show you where I come from, treat you like a queen. My queen." He kissed her then, a firm pressing of his mouth to hers, and Ada wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. If her words couldn't keep him, maybe her actions would.

He pressed her deep into the mattress and she allowed him to take control as he usually did. Tongues tangled and clothes were removed and there wasn't a need for any spoken words.

 _Come home to me_ , she silently begged when she wrapped her legs around his waist. _I love you, I love you, I love you. Love me too._

When it was finished, Ada wrapped her arms around him tightly, keeping him pressed to her, inside her, for as long as possible. There was a sense of fear in her, like this would be her last time to see him and it made her scared for him to leave her.

Erik pulled away and wrapped her in his arms, his fingertips tracing the smooth skin of her shoulder, her head on his chest. Ada pressed a kiss to his chest right over his heart where the thudding was singing her a lullaby. Before she drifted off, she felt him press lips to her hair and mutter something under his breath.

When she woke, Erik was gone and it was dark outside her window. Ada shivered from the cold that seeped into her bones. She would see him again, she vowed. He would come home to her and things would get better when he did. He promised and Erik had never broken a promise yet.

Except a month went by and she didn't hear from him. And another. And another. Until it had been six months and Erik had never been gone that long and Ada was sure that he wasn't coming back home.

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A/N: This is my first story in 3 years after a long bout of depression so please leave me some love! I feel like there aren't enough fanfics for Black Panther on this site yet and I can't get the characters out of my head. Expect more stories as inspiration strikes


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I really appreciate all the love on the first chapter and I hope you enjoy this one. I'm also editing the first chapter so that Erik's only been gone for six months. Finally, I don't have a beta currently so let me know if you see any mistakes

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Chapter 2: Month 3

Ada stared down at the stick, waiting for results that she already knew. It had been months since Erik had left and after ignoring constant nausea and sore breasts, it was time to acknowledge what was happening to her body.

She was pregnant. _Pregnant_. Her. It was hard to imagine but she should've expected something like this eventually. It wasn't as if her and Erik had been diligent in the birth control department. Ada hated the way birth control affected her body and they didn't regularly use condoms. Most of the time, Ada was lucky if clothes came off all the way.

But now she had to deal with the repercussions of their actions. Alone. Holding the stick in her hand she sunk against the bathtub and leaned her head against her arms. She needed a plan. She was alone in the world; it was the reason her and Erik had gotten along so well. Ada had no family or friends; the few friends she'd made at MIT had gotten annoyed whenever she had to ditch them because Erik was suddenly in town. It had been a no brainer; Erik was the only one who she could depend on she didn't need anyone else. Except now Erik was gone.

Something occurred to Ada. Erik was gone, but his stuff was still here. He had no real possessions; his lifestyle wouldn't allow him the luxury of traveling with personal effects, not that he'd had a lot to begin with. But there was this book…

Ada stood and ran to the hall closet, pregnancy test still clutched in her hand. Erik never talked about his past but if there was an idea about where he could be then she wanted to try to find it. Even if it meant going through his stuff. She wasn't exactly sure when this stuff had ended up in her apartment and she knew that when he came back he would be pissed about her snooping. But she couldn't handle it on her own. She wasn't as strong as Erik, wasn't able to stand on her two feet. She lived in a shadow of herself, so used to having Erik protect her when he was around that when she wasn't she didn't know how to be her own person. The only time she truly felt alive was when he was around.

But Ada knew that with a baby coming she would have to figure it out and stand strong until Erik came back. Which was much easier said than done. Stretching up to the highest shelf in the closet, she brought down the leather bound book Erik had brought with him and stashed in her hall closet.

" _You moving in or something?" Ada watched Erik come through her front door from her bed, a trash bag over one shoulder and a book under his arm. It was late but Erik had a key that he used to frequently slide in between her sheets._

" _You actin' like you don't want my ass here or something?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. She bit her lip. He knew she wanted him there all the time._

" _What's with the book?" she asked, as he set the garbage bag down and opened up her hall closet._

" _It's nothing much…something of my pops." Ada nodded; Erik had mentioned his father had been murdered when he was young in Oakland. "It was his diary." Erik stuffed the book in the closet and turned to Ada._

" _Enough about that…what you hiding under them blankets?" Erik's canines shown in the moonlight and Ada opened her arms to welcome him back where he belonged._

Ada shook off the memory but the tears were still in her eyes. She hoped that they'd be able to have more nights like that. She opened the book. The first few pages were written in a language that she didn't understand. Flipping through the pages, it was more of the same language that she didn't understand. Hot tears ran down her face but she brushed them away angrily. She wasn't giving up.

Getting to the middle of the book, she finally found a word written in English.

 _Wakanda._

The page was a mixture of English and whatever language Erik's dad had spoken but Ada felt like it was _something_. Wakanda was a third world country from what she understood but maybe there was more than she knew. She left the diary on the floor and went to her old desktop computer in the corner. Tapping her fingers against the desk while she waited, Ada found herself slipping into another memory.

 _It was the first time they kissed. After spending months flirting and studying together at her apartment, Erik had tucked a curl behind her ear and pressed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. Ada felt her stomach drop and heat pool in her stomach. Her hands came to rest on Erik's shoulders and he buried his hands in her hair, pulling slightly in a way she hadn't known she liked until then. He bit her lip and she gasped, his tongue mingling with her own in a way that had her groaning._

 _He slowed the kiss down then, pressing a kiss to first her top lip, then her bottom lip, before tugging her lip between his teeth again. "I been tryna be respectful but I've been wanting to do that for a while."_

The ding of the computer coming on brought her back to the present. Once she got the browser up, she typed in 'Wakanda' to get more information. _Wakanda, officially known as the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a small landlocked country located in Africa surrounded by mountain ranges and an impenetrable rainforest. Despite being a third world country, Wakanda does not engage in trade and does not receive any foreign aid._

She scrolled through a few more articles, including one about how some crazy guy had stolen all the precious metal that Wakanda had, and the recent passing of the king.

She sat back in defeat. There was no way to ensure that Wakanda was where Erik was. And yes she was pregnant and really needed him but when he was underground, there was nothing to be done about it. She placed her hands on her belly where their baby was growing inside her. She would have to be strong for this baby, and for herself, until Erik came back. He would come back. He'd promised and he never broke promises to her.

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A/N2: I know that Ada seems weak af right now but I think she's really broken by what's happened in her life. Don't worry: she won't stay that way


	3. Chapter 3

Ada stood in front of the mirror, rubbing her belly. She was fresh out the shower, only in her underwear, taking in the changes her body had gone through and how much they reflected the changes in her life.

She'd moved from the studio apartment she'd shared with Erik into a two bedroom apartment not far from where they'd lived. She decorated the second bedroom in soft grays and blush pinks, spending two days painting the wall opposite the door in a floral mural in black, purple and that same pink. It had given Ada a purpose being able to create a space for her baby girl to come home to once she was born, like she was presenting herself to be judged by her upon arrival and Ada didn't want to be found lacking.

She found a job in a daycare, helping to care for the smaller children, to try to supplement the measly income she was getting from selling her art. It was hard to sacrifice her painting time but it was the only way Ada would be able to pay for the apartment and get what she needed for her baby girl. It was easier in the studio apartment, even easier with Erik paying half of the—sometimes the whole—rent. But that was he past and Ada had to make sacrifices for her future. She would be able to bring the baby to the daycare after birth as well, which made things better.

There was still no word from Erik, no way of knowing whether he was alive or dead, no way to let him know he'd have a baby girl in less than a month. Ada packed the things they he'd left behind into the back of her closet. Every once in a while, she'd pull out his leather book and look through it, praying for the answers to waft up from the worn pages. She felt closer to him in those moments; she liked to think that he'd gone to Wakanda, had found the family that they'd both wanted. Ada had let go of her anger quickly after realizing he wouldn't come back; he'd given her the greatest gift possible, the ability to build her own family.

A nudge took her out of her thoughts and Ada smiled. Her baby girl was very active throughout her pregnancy. "You kicking your mama? Hmm? You want some attention?" Ada looked at her body in the mirror analyzing herself. She was still slim, with a large round belly poking out, but she didn't even look pregnant from the back. Eight months had flown by and she had everything ready for her baby's arrival except…

"We really need a name for you baby girl," she said absentmindedly. "I don't think Baby Girl is gonna work on your birth certificate." There was a knock on the door.

Ada froze. She didn't have any friends and the people she'd met at the daycare didn't know where she lived. Even if they did, Ada didn't think they would stop by unannounced. Running to her bedroom, she pulled on her silk robe and ran to the door. Peering through the peephole, she saw two women, shaved heads with tattoos on them, holding spears. Ada backed away from the door in shock; she didn't know who these women were or what they wanted. There was another knock.

Leaving the deadbolt in place, Ada opened the door. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Are you Ada Moore?" the one on the left asked.

"Depends on who's asking." Ada wasn't about to trust just anyone. She knew Erik probably still had enemies out there; it wouldn't be hard to figure out who she was to him. Who she'd been to him.

The women looked at each other, exasperation clear on their faces. "I don't think you want to have this conversation in the hallway," the same woman spoke up again, an eyebrow raised. Ada noticed she had an accent, an indication that she wasn't from Boston, or even America, and irritation colored her every word. "This is about N'Jadaka."

Ada blinked in confusion. Was she supposed to know who the fuck that was? She was getting annoyed with these women; all she wanted to do was eat her food and sit on her couch, not play mind games with black Xena, Warrior Princess.

"You know him better as Erik Stevens."

Ada slammed the door quickly, wrenching the chain off the door and swinging it open. "You know about Erik? What happened to him? Did he make it to Wakanda?"

The women gave each other another look before walking in. After shutting the door behind them, they banged their spears on the ground. The lights flickered and a figure appeared clothed in a black and gold suit. Ada startled at the sudden appearance of a masked man. _What in the absolute hell…_

The face disappeared from the mask and a face recognizable to her appeared. Erik looked agonized at seeing her and Ada felt paralyzed. She figured he had to be dead, secretly hoped for it being the only reason she hadn't heard from him in eight months. Stepping closer to him, tears welled in her eyes and before she knew it she swung.


	4. Chapter 4

Third time is a charm, hopefully! Sorry for the weird symbols. I also post on Archive of Our Own under the name dolcenogabana in case anyone wants to read it over there!

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His head snapped to the side, and Erik didn't feel pain but more shock at what she had done. It was bad enough she was standing there _looking_ the way she did, but she had the audacity to put hands on him? He'd never hurt Ada, but the old Erik would've had to hit back just from the disrespect.

But still, a part of him liked it, a leftover side effect from his past life, and he felt his dick twitch. He turned piercing eyes on her and she was frozen, eyes wide, hugging herself. Guilt fell on Erik like a cloak; Ada wasn't a violent person normally and the fear in her eyes let him know what she was thinking.

He felt the Dora Milaje shuffle next to him, probably ready to restrain him should he decide to choke out a pregnant woman. But Erik couldn't take his eyes off of Ada. She was pregnant. _Pregnant_. Questions run through his mind: how could this happen? Was it his? Or was she letting another man touch what was his in his mind?

 _Was_ she still his?

Because he was still hers. He'd wanted to die on that mountain, was willing to die for his mission. He was able to leave her behind physically but the idea of never seeing her again ate at him in what he thought was the last moments of his life. When T'Challa offered to save him, Ada was the only thing on his mind. He'd promised he was coming back to her and he'd never broken a promise to her before.

But Lucy had explaining to do before he went Killmonger on someone.

"Can y'all give us a minute?" he said, not taking his eyes off of her. He followed the curve of her face, the wide eyes and full lips, down her neck and to full breasts and a very rounded stomach. Her small delicate hands rested on her stomach, as if to protect her baby from him and Erik clenched his fists with the effort to not touch her.

There was more shuffling from the Dora before Okoye muttered "Akukho shishini elihle," and turned to exit the apartment. Erik waved them off; they were right to still be wary of him but Erik didn't want them there while he got his answers. In the meanwhile, Ada was eying him back; her eyes trailed over the golden jaguar suit and he felt that warmth in his stomach again. He wondered if she remembered the way he would stretch his body over hers, his skin pressed to her warm skin, glowing from the sunlight streaming through their window, pressing into her heat…Her eyes darkened and her lips parted in lust as if she did remember. But Erik wanted answers before he reenacted the fantasies he'd been having the last eight months.

"Seems like you got some explaining to do." He watched her skin flush in anger and Erik wondered if she would swing again.

"I have explaining to do?" Ada exclaimed. "Where the fuck have you been? I thought you were dead! Do you know what I've had to go through alone while you were off gallivanting, doing God knows what in your Catwoman suit?"

"Watch your mouth, Ada." He was doing his best to stay calm but she was pushing it and him. She wasn't about to be in here hitting him and talking crazy. "You don't know what I been through."

Tears filled her eyes. "You don't get to tell me what to do Erik! You've been gone for eight months." She put her hands on her bump. "We made a baby that last night. I've been on my own trying to figure this shit out. You're right. I don't know what you've been through. Because you never shared anything with me. I had to go through your things just to figure out that Wakanda meant something to you!" Ada buried her face in her hands and began sobbing.

Erik felt lost. He'd never been good with feelings and he'd had his fill of it talking through his own these last months. But it broke his heart to see his baby crying like that, painful sobs that couldn't have been good for the baby. His baby. He walked to her, soundless footsteps that crossed the space to her in a short time, but he felt like he had waiting lifetimes to hold her again. He slid warm hands over she shoulders, down her back and she shivered at his touch. She softened into his chest and Erik felt whole. He pulled her as close to him as her belly would allow, a physical reminder of their love and pressed a shaky hand to her belly. He put his other hand at his favorite spot, the back of her neck, giving them both a sense of security that had been missing.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against the top of her head and temporarily, things were right between them. There was a nudge under his hand and in his heart.

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Translation: Akukho shishini elihle - "No funny business" (because Okoye don't play that)


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you for your patience! I wanna shout out the Bear app which helped me crank out this chapter and my other series. It's a lot easier for me to write as inspiration strikes rather than setting aside a time to write and hoping I still remember my ideas. Please be sure to let me know what you think about the chapter, what you think will happen, and what you want to see. Your reviews inspire me.

They were seated across the room from each other, putting some much needed distance between them. Ada needed to have her mind clear of Erik and having him close, his touch, his smell, sent her into a tailspin. She wasn't that woman he left behind and she wasn't willing to fall back into old habits. Half truths and omissions wouldn't do anymore. At best she'd get her answers and they could move forward as co-parents. At worst, Erik would be on his bullshit. Ada expected a mixture of the two.

She could tell the distance between them irritated Erik. He was seated in the armchair, his legs spread, hands clenched on his thighs. His eyes roamed the room, looking at the person effects he recognized from their old place mingled with new pieces. He looked uncomfortable at the signs of a continued life, one without him.

"You owe me an explanation Erik," Ada started after a few moments of awkward silence. She expected push back but Erik just nodded. It was true and he couldn't deny it.

So he started with Klaue and the robbery of the museum, killing Klaue and heading to Wakanda. He talked about how he was king for all of forty-eight hours before T'Challa's return. When he spoke of wanting to die on the mountain, more tears welled up in Ada's eyes and he crossed the room to kneel at her feet.

"T'Challa offered to save me," Erik said annoyance in his voice, "but I thought it would be more heroic to just die there. My mission was complete, I didn't think I had anything to live for." Ada sobbed and closed her eyes. "But then I kept thinking about you, and how I promised I would come back. I ain't never broken a promise to you so I let them heal me." He caressed her cheek and she nuzzled into his hand. "I've been there this entire time, getting my head right and trying to get people to trust me." Erik scoffed. "They still don't trust me but T'Challa does and they trust him. I'm the protector of Wakanda now, the Golden Jaguar. I'm like an advisor because I know shit about how the world works that none of them do. They want to do things the peaceful way and I'm there to make sure they don't get screwed in the end. But as soon as I was allowed to leave Wakanda, I wanted to see you first. Ada, you're the only thing that kept me going. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you for this," he gestured to her belly, "but I'm gonna be there from here on out."

He pressed a tentative hand to her stomach, his thumb stroking. "Why didn't you let me know when you'd made it?" Ada asked. She was still unsure. Yes his story made sense but Erik was a man of action, not words. She was waiting for him to prove his words.

Erik swallowed roughly. "I was in a rough place when I got there. Nothing made sense to me but making sure I got revenge on the people that made our lives hell. But I would've come once I had full control of Wakanda. People were resistant even though I'd killed their king. My two days as king was a pain in the ass," he joked. But Ada wasn't in a laughing mood.

"So…what now?"

"Well I have an obligation to Wakanda. My freedom in the U.S. is based on my commitment as advisor. So I was hoping that you would want to come home with me."

"Erik…I don't know." His face fell and Ada hated the power he still seemed to have over her. "I can't just move to another country. My life is here, my job is here."

Erik stood up and began pacing back and forth. "What kind of life is it?" he spat at her. "You don't have anyone and you wouldn't have to work if you came with me."

Ada rose to her feet to block his path. "It's a life I created. It doesn't have to make sense to you but I'm not ready to jump back into our shit with you!" Erik went to interrupt but she held up a hand. "You had your chance and it's my turn now." She swallowed, wanting to get her point across without hurting him.

"When you left, I thought my world was collapsing. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. You're right that I have no one because I dedicated my entire being to catering to you when you were home and wondering when you would come back when you were gone." Erik averted his eyes from hers. "You were selfish with me and you kept me to yourself and I allowed you to. You lied a lot and left shit out and I let you. But when I found out I was pregnant I had more to live for besides you and someone else who needed me to dedicate my time to. So I figured this shit out. And you don't get to come back and make demands of me. I'm not that person. I can't be that person. I have someone else I have to put first and you need to earn my trust again."

Ada was out of breath at the end of her monologue and Erik was standing there clenching his fists again. Abruptly, he turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Of course you fucking leave when you don't get your way, asshole," Ada muttered under her breath.

—

Two hours later, Erik walked back into the apartment wearing regular clothes and carrying a duffle. Ada stood in the kitchen washing her dinner dishes.

"What's with the bag?"

He slowly met her eyes. "You said you weren't coming with me and I can't earn your trust halfway around the world. So I'm gonna crash here, if that's alright with you?" He arched an eyebrow at her. She nodded, shocked at him acting like an adult. He crossed to the couch–the same one from their last apartment–and began pulling equipment from the bag. Ada watched in disbelief; he was really there in her apartment, setting up what looked to be his home office, wanting to get to know this new version of her and earn her trust. She was already impressed at his nerve but she tried to beat it back. And her hormones.

Erik looked just as good, if not better than when he left. Him being back in Ada's space, suffocating her with his presence had her ready to lay on her back and spread her legs open for him. His dominating aura and smell was setting her body off . She thought pregnancy had gotten rid of any libido she'd had but all she had to do was get her baby daddy in the room again.

"Plus I figured you look about ready to have that baby," he continued, interrupting her thoughts. "It's not safe for you to be alone here."

"What about your job?" She came around to perch on the arm of the couch, watching him type codes into the laptop.

"It's fine. I let T know what was going on. I can advise from here."

"Okay…I'll uh get you some sheets for the couch."

"Cool," he said meeting her eyes. Ada felt like he could see through her, to where she was suppressing her desires for him. They were bubbling up to the surface and ready to explode. Ada jumped up from her seat to gather the linens for him, breaking eye contact in the process.

When she returned with blankets, he'd stripped down to just his boxers, his ring on his chain glinting in the light of table lamp. Ada swallowed roughly before setting the blankets the chair farthest from him working on the computer and turning to escape to the relative privacy of her bedroom.

"Hey," Erik called out. Ada turned back to him in question. "What are we having?"

She smiled. "It's a girl."

His face softened before he cleared his throat and ducked his head back into his work.

"Cool," he resumed typing. "Goodnight, Ada."

"Goodnight, Erik."


	6. Chapter 6

Erik knew he'd been gone for a while, but he was surprised at the self sufficiency Ada had. The Monday after he'd moved into her apartment, he woke up to Ada's fumbling. It was still dark out; usually Erik would've already been awake but Ada's couch,while cute, was not meant hit sleeping. Especially with his size and build.

"Fuck." He heard Ada mutter and he immediately sat up to peer at her through the darkness.

"What are you doing awake?" His voice was gravelly and he reached over to turn the side table lamp on.

Ada jumped a little. "Erik! You scared the hell out of me!"

"What are you doing awake?" He asked again. He eyed her attire, converse, jeans, a basic shirt. And that bump.

Erik swallowed. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the idea that Ada was having a baby. His baby.

"I'm going to work," Ada said moving around the kitchen. She pulled containers out the fridge before stretching to reach the top of the fridge. Erik rushed to step behind her and reach the lunch box. The scent of her hair wafted from her and Erik's head spun. Unconsciously, he rested his hand on her hip and pressed his bare front to her back. He wished he was wearing more than just his boxers because he was hard and straining at just a little touch. He heard a whimper escape her, and his dick twitched before he pulled away. They weren't there yet and he didn't want to take advantage of the situation. Ada calling him on his bullshit bothered him; he didn't realize wear their relationship had been like for her. He wanted to earn her trust the way she wanted him to, take the time to be the person she'd thought he was before he'd left, but better.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the lunch box. Her whispered 'thanks' and dilated pupils let him know she was just as affected as he was.

Erik cleared his throat. "So you're going to work at," he glanced at his watch, "4:20 in the morning?"

She continued to hustle around the kitchen grabbing snacks. "I have to catch the 4:30 bus to be at work at 6."

Erik would be damned if the mother of his child would take public transport, especially at eight months pregnant. He kissed his teeth. "Go back to bed, Ada." He went to go back to his bed-the couch. He missed the look on her face but heard in the tone of her voice.

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'go back to bed'? I have to go to work, Erik." She tilted her head. He could tell she was going to be difficult for no reason. "You know, work? Where I go make money to pay my bills?"

Erik kissed his teeth again, flopping back on the couch. "I told you you didn't have to worry about bills. I got you."

His statement was met with the door slamming. Erik cursed before hopping up and grabbing his sweats, keys, and a shirt.

For a pregnant woman, Ada moved fast as hell because she was no where to be found in the hallway. He ran pressing the button on the elevator, before realizing he could run down the stairs faster than the elevator would come. He took the six flights of stairs two at a time, coming out the side door to the building. He saw Ada walking at a quick pace in the direction of the bus stop.

"Ada!" He called to her but either she couldn't hear him or she was ignoring him. She kept walking.

Erik pulled up to the bus stop and rolled the window down. "Ada." He was at his wits end with this woman. She looked away from him, an attitude across her face. Erik took deep breaths–something his therapist told him to start doing when his temper flared up–before putting the car in park. The nosey ass woman standing under the awning with Ada eyed him with suspicion as he exited the car.

"Ada," he tried again. Finally she looked at him, apprehension in her eyes. Erik wondered how he would've reacted in the past, if this was something he would've raised his voice about before Wakanda. The look in her eyes made the still lingering frustration dissipate.

"I'll take you to work," he said opening the passenger door for her.

Ada turned to the woman next to her who waved her forward. She gave him a small smile before getting into the car. Erik closed the door after her, got into the car, and pulled off.

Of course they got to the daycare early so Erik swung through the McDonalds drive thru. He got his big breakfast meal with hotcakes and coffee, before putting in Ada's usual order of a sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle, a hashbrown, and orange juice. He peeked over at her while placing the order and saw the pleased look on her face at his remembrance. They sat in the parking lot and ate their food in silence until six.

"Thank you," Ada said as she exited the vehicle. Erik waited until she entered the building before slamming his head against the headrest. He was in over his head with her.

That evening, he showed up at six to the daycare. When she took a little longer to come out, Erik stepped into the daycare. He took note of the lack of security and sent a prayer up to Bast that he could convince Ada to quit.

Soon.

He stepped into place, it was quiet, eerily so. Erik wished he had a gun on him. Peering around the corner, he saw Ada standing at a crib, her back to the door, swaying side to side. She danced her way to face him, smiling down at the baby in her arms. Erik swallowed hard. Seeing her with that baby made it pretty hard to ignore his future. He cleared his throat as gently as possible to avoid startling her.

Ada looked at him. "Oh. I didn't realize you were coming. His mother hasn't come yet. She works late so I just stay so she doesn't have to rush." Erik nodded, still avoiding looking at the baby. Her eyes searched his face. "You can wait in the car if you'd like."

Erik thought about how easily he'd been able to walk in a catch Ada unawares. "Nah, I'll stay." He took a seat in the rocking chair, far away from her and the baby. She clearly still needed him to watch her back.

—

A few days later, Ada asked him to take her to the doctor's office across town the next day. He looked at her belly in askance. Feat if something was wrong? What if his presence had done more harm than good?

"Everything's fine," she said breaking through his thoughts. "It's just my thirty-six week checkup." Erik let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Yeah, yeah. I can take you." His voice was shaky. He didn't think he cared about the baby but the idea of something being wrong with her, something wrong with Ada…

"Do you want to come with me?"

Erik thought about it and looked at Ada. She looked nervous to have asked him and he was nervous at the thought of going. But…he was curious. Did it look like a baby inside? What was she like? Was everything really ok with them both?

"Okay."

"Yeah? She looked shocked that he would agree, which annoyed him a little.

"Yeah. You cool with that?" She rolled her eyes and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

The next morning, Erik followed Ada into the doctor's office and took a seat. He looked around the waiting room as she checked in. This was one of those bougie doctor's offices in the white neighborhood. Majority of the women waiting were eying him. He wanted to buck at them, give them something to fear, but he restrained himself for Ada's sake. Definitely would've been funny though.

"I know I owe you but please-" Ada's whisper reached his ear.

"I'm sorry miss but we absolutely need your payment before we can render service." The bitch at the counter wasn't even trying to be quiet, mock sympathy coating her voice, which boiled Erik's blood. He stalked up to the counter, a dark guardian angel standing over Ada.

"What's the problem, babe?" He glared at the woman, who shrunk a little under his gaze.

Ada turned to him. "They won't let me back for my appointment. I'm on a payment plan but she still won't check me in." The frustration was clear on her face.

Erik took a deep breath to calm down before he lit into the woman. "How much?" He directed his question to "Tammy".

"Well she needs to pay $250 for this visit." She looked him up and down, saw his sweatpants and t-shirt and the smirk was back.

"I mean how much is her total bill?" He grinned at her fallen face, golden slugs gleaming in fluorescent lights.

Tabitha typed some things on the computer. "Her total bill is $1,750 including today's payment." Erik handed over his debit card, shushing Ada when she tried to speak up. Talulah said nothing as she processed his payment, lips pursed in dissatisfaction. Erik felt a smug satisfaction; this was that shit T'Challa was always talking about, a subtle way to stick it to someone rather than his usual brash way of handling things.

After signing the receipt, he led Ada to a seat away from everyone. Another guy, there with his girl gave the universal head nod of solidarity. Erik returned it.

"You didn't have to do that, Erik." Ada was cradling her belly, her face sweet and her eyes hopeful.

He rubbed a hand down her back in reassurance. "You're my responsibility. Of course I did."

That was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes went guarded, her body stiff. Before he could correct himself–express how much she met to him, how scared he was about this baby, but how he didn't want to do life without her–Ada's name rang out in the waiting room. She immediately rose from the seat and waddled walked to the door, not looking to see if Erik was following. Erik sighed.

In the back, the kind nurse took Ada's weight and measurements before leading her to the room to check the baby. Erik's palms were sweating.

"Is this the daddy?" The nurse's cheerful voice rang through his ears. Ada hopped on the table, while replying yes. She raised her shirt and Erik's eyes were glued to the bump. It was his first time seeing it uncovered. Her skin was smooth and soft looking. He saw a ripple, slow moving, but a clear movement and he ripped his eyes away.

"Well daddy, you can take a seat over there," the nurse was speaking again. Erik went to sit in the chair she indicated, trying to hold back a smirk at the nickname. He watched as she spread a jelly substance across Ada's stomach. Then she turned out the lights and the machine whirled to life. Pressing the want to Ada's stomach, the screen was blank for a moment before the clear image of their baby appeared on screen.

Erik was in awe. That was his baby, at least it was her profile. He could clearly see his nose, his lips, Ada's big ass head…

"She has your big ass head," Ada whispered. He hadn't realized he'd stood and was standing next to Ada lying on the bed. Before he could counter, a whooshing sound filled the room. Erik looked around confused.

"And that's your baby's heartbeat!" He'd forgotten the nurse was in the room. The whooshing sound was her heartbeat. Erik felt himself getting choked up.

"Is it supposed to be that fast?" His own voice sounded foreign to him.

"Yes, your baby has a very healthy heartbeat. It's to regulate her temperature when she's born." The nurse moved the wand around to get a different angle while to talked about what was going on with Ada. Apparently the baby was head down, which was good. Erik tuned them out, staring at his baby girl. He couldn't believe this was his baby. He never thought he could have this, had been so focused on his life's mission that everyone was collateral. He thanked Bast for this and held back tears.

He avoided Ada's searching eyes as he moved back to the chair, eyes still glued to his baby. He would do better. He had so much more to live for and do better for.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It's my favorite so far!

* * *

The change in Erik was evident after the doctor's appointment. Packages arrived the next week, taking up space in the living room but Ada ignored them in favor of retreating to her room. She was tired and hadn't been sleeping well. It might've had something to do with her baby father sleeping on her couch.

She didn't expect his presence to affect her so much but she'd forgotten how much Erik could occupy a space, not in a messy way, but in a "you're gonna remember I'm here" way. It was hard to ignore him when he was driving her to and from work, taking her to run errands, paying for shit. He was integrated himself back into her life at a pace age wasn't ready for. But she didn't mind it either. She wasn't used to him being around so long; by this time, Erik would be preparing to head out on another mission but it seemed that he was making himself comfortable. Except there was no way he was. Her couch was meant for sitting and napping, not for full on sleeping.

Ada thought about inviting him in the bed with her but didn't want to risk succumbing to her hormones. She'd forgotten how little clothes Erik wore on a regular basis. No shirt, muscles bulging, gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips, dick swinging freely. And when he was working, he'd pull out his gold rimmed glasses. Ada has to lock herself in her room before she threw herself across his lap presenting herself to him like a cat in heat.

 _But it's not like you could get pregnant,_ her inner voice pleaded for her to give in.

 _Shut up, hoe_. Ada rubbed her temples as she sat on the bed. Her head hurt and she was hungry but she was hiding in her room from the sexual demon that was Erik. But this was her house. So fuck that.

She got up and opened the door. The scene in her living room was worst than she imagined and she stopped in her tracks. Erik was sprawled on her couch, no shirt, gray sweatpants, bulge visible through the fabric. Reading a baby book. She could see from her angle in the doorway that he was reading _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ , Ada's one unopened copy calling to her from her nightstand. Every time she found the time to open it, she fell asleep before getting through the first page. Sitting on the end table behind him was another stack of books. She crossed the room to look at the titles.

 _Babywise: Giving your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep; 100 Baby Names; The Expectant Father; Dad's Guide to Pregnancy for Dummies;_ and _How Not to Fuck Them Up_ filled out the stack and Ada laughed at the last one. Typical Erik.

"Did you know she's probably in there sucking her thumb right now?" Erik's voice startled her. "We'll have to stop that shit immediately or else she'll be doing it until she's an adult."

Ada blinked at him. Where was the man who could barely look at her bump? "Where did you get all these books?"

Erik looked at her bashfully. "Amazon. Figured she's on her way. Might as well know how to take care of her."

Ada sat next to him. "Yeah I use this app to keep up with what she's doing but I haven't been able to read any books. I don't even have a name for her." Ada laughed sardonically. "I'm actually really scared."

Erik's hand snaked over hers. When she didn't pull away, he linked his fingers with hers. Well I'm here now and we gon figure this shit out together."

Her newfound independence wanted to fight at this but Ada was weary. She was _glad_ he was here, glad she had someone to lean on. So she did, leaning into his side. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her hair.

—

Over the few days, Erik was on ten when Ada wanted him to be a solid three point five seven. If he wasn't spewing out random facts about the baby from his baby books, he was now taking an active roll in her pregnancy. He must've been looking at things on google about pregnancy; he started taking her on walks around the neighborhood after dinner.

"You been complaining about heartburn," he said, slapping her hands out the way and zipping up his her sweater himself. "You need to stop going to sleep right after you eat." He bent down to help her put her shoes on. "Plus walking is supposed to help with making birth easier." He tugged her good over her head, careful not to mess up her hair. "I need that shit to go smoothly so yo ass not breaking my hand all night."

Ada thought about asking him why he expected to be in the room with her but decided not to. She really couldn't imagine going through it alone but she didn't want him to see her like that. She still wanted him to find her sexy after giving birth. Even if they weren't like that, she didn't want him to be scarred after seeing her give birth to his baby. But she knew there was no way she could ask him to wait in the waiting room with the way he was acting. He was probably going to hold the doctor hostage in the hospital room until she gave birth.

After walking one evening, Ada stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom in just her bra and panties. Her hands trailed over her bump reverently. She still couldn't believe this was her body. She didn't have that much time to go. She felt eyes on her and met Erik's through the cracked open door. She swallowed around the lump in her throat at the look in his eyes. They were dark with arousal and she unconsciously trailed her gaze over his body. He was dressed still from their walk but still in his sweats. She could see his dick rising at her attention and she licked her lips...

Erik cleared his throat and her eyes snapped up to his. He raised an eyebrow but she turned back to the mirror. "I'm getting a few stretch marks." She concentrated on the new faint line in an effort to calm the throbbing in her lower region.

"I'm surprised you don't have more with that big belly." His voice was closer as he came up behind her in the mirror. She could feel the heat of his body against her back. She watched him through the mirror, saw him clench his fists, his hesitation, before he slid his hands around her waist to press to her stomach. The skin to skin contact was jarring for her; there was an intimacy to his actions, him caressing the bare skin of her belly. He buried his face into her neck and his breaths tickled her neck. They stood there like that for a while, even the baby was still in the moment. When he pulled away, Ada held her breath until he walked away and shut the door behind him.

The next morning, there was a bottle of argon oil on her nightstand.

—

Another night found them sprawled on opposite end a of the couch, Ada's feet resting in Erik's lap while he rubbed them for her. She was reading names from a new baby names book. Erik has hated all the names in the other one. Emma and Jessica wasn't gonna cut it for his baby girl.

"What about Zuri?"

Erik made a face. "Absolutely not." Ada looked at him questioningly before rolling her eyes.

"Amara?"

"Eh."

"Amaya?" No response. "Makena?" Again no response. She looked up from the book. "Look. We need a name." Erik continues rubbing her feet, staring intensely at her white toes. "I can pick a name without you if you don't want to do this?"

Erik kissed his teeth. "Just keep going. I'll know it when I here it."

Ada sighed. "Nala?"

"Too _Lion King_." She snorted.

"I didn't even think about that. Nia?"

"Nah."

"Nuru? It means filled with light." She thought maybe the meaning would stir something in him.

He hummed, a good sign, so Ada used the colorful tabs she had to mark the name and page.

As she flipped through the pages, another name caught her eye.

"Hey what about Sade? It means 'honor bestows a crown'? I think it's appropriate since her daddy's a prince."

Erik looked at her finally. "Sade," he tested. "Sade Isabella? For your mom?"

Tears came to her eyes. Ada wished her mom could meet her. "Yeah that sounds great."

—

"Ada," Erik's voice woke her up out of her sleep and she opened bleary eyes to peer at him.

"Wha izit 'rik?" She mumbled. It had been a long day at the daycare and at thirty-nine weeks, Ada was getting too big to be running after all the kids there.

"Come on, we're gonna do a test drive to the hospital."

Ada thought she might have misheard him before grabbing her phone from the nightstand. "Nigga. It's two thirty in the morning. Now isn't the time to be having drills and shit."

Erik kissed his teeth. He was gonna stop that shit before she gave him something to kiss his teeth over. "The baby could come at any moment. Better for us to practice than to be struggling to figure out the best route the day of." Ada whined. "Come on Ada." He pulled her to sit up, tugging her coat around her, pulling her arms through the sleeves. By the time he kneeled to put her shoes on, Ada was more awake and rubbing her eyes to clear the fog.

Erik stopped to pick up a bag tucked into the front hall closet. "What's in the bag?"

"It's your hospital bag." Ada looked at the bag. It was a black duffle, bulging with things. She knew his worried ass overpacked but she was too tired to fight him on it. She hadn't started to pack for herself so she might as well use his bag as a blueprint. She'd sift through it and eliminate the unnecessary items later.

He helped her gingerly down the stairs—the elevator moved too slow for his liking—before he tucked her carefully into the passenger seat of a car she'd never seen before. She looked at him questioningly.

Erik looked shy. "I can't carry a car seat or stroller in the Porsche." Ada turned to look into the back and sure enough there was a backward facing car seat in the center seat—the safest place according to his best friend, google—and a mirror attached to the headrest. She knew if she looked in the trunk, she'd find a matching stroller.

Ada turned back to him. "Is this what you do when I'm at work? When did you get this?"

Erik began driving, navigating the larger vehicle just as well as he did his old car. "I picked it out and had someone pick it up when it was tricked out the way I wanted. They dropped it off for here for me." Ada just shook her head and settled in for the fifteen minute drive to hospital.

When they got back home, Ada felt almost dead on her feet, grateful Erik had pulled this shit on a weekend. She watched him start settling in on the couch but it didn't feel right to her. She wanted him next to her in bed. She was tired of fighting herself when she just wanted to be up under him.

"You need something baby girl?"

"You." He blinked a few times. "I mean. The couch isn't that comfortable. You could come in the bed if you want." She was nervous.

Erik surprised her. After staring at her for a few beats too long, he rose to his feet, gesturing for her to proceed him in the room. The room felt smaller with In it and she absently notes they still had their respective sides of the bed. Erik's eyes stayed in hers as he undressed, pulling his jacket off and his shirt over his head in a way that was so familiar to Ada. She started to follow suit, unzipping her coat and stepping out of her shoes. She was already in her pajamas, not having gotten properly dressed for their excursion. Erik maintained eye contact as he untied the string of his sweatpants and dropping them. Ada quickly averted her eyes, worried that he going without draws again.

She snuck a peek. Boxer briefs. Not that much better.

Ada crawled under the sheets laying on her back and feeling Erik do the same. The air was heavy between them. This was _not_ what she pictures when she invited him in her bed. Okay. She wasn't ready for what she'd imagined but she still expected more than the uncomfortable feeling swirling in the air.

"Come here," Erik's voice rumbled next to her before he shifted her into a position they were familiar with. He was the big spoon, the lines of his body pressed into her back, his arm under her head and his other arm sling across her hips. Ada was content, beginning to drift off when she felt his calloused hand shove her sleep shirt up. He settled his hand on the bare skin of her belly, rubbing. Sade nudged back before settling on the side where her daddy's hand was. Ada fell into a deep sleep after that.

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Thank you for reading!


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